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(No Model.)

J. L. THOMSON.

SPRING CLASP.

No. 313,257. Patented Mar. 3, 1885.

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Arnim* SPRING- CLAS P.

SPECIFICATION forming pari: of Letters Patent No. 313,257, dated March 3, 1885.

Application tiled November 28, 1884. v(No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may oon/cern,.-

Be it known that IJUDsoivv L. THoMsoN, l of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring-Clasps, of which the following. taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the class of clasps in which a tongue hinged on an attachingplate, and held in its operative position by a spring attached to said plate, intel-looks with another attaching-plate provided with slots, through one of which the aforesaid tongue passes.

The object of the invention is to simplify and cheapen the manufacture of said clasps; and to that end it consists, chiefly, in the combination, with the attaching-plate and tongue hinged thereon, of a longitudinallyd eiiected cross-bar on said attaching-plate, arranged to be impinged by the hinged end of the tongue in swinging the same back and forth on the attaching-plate, as hereinafter more fully explained and specifically' claimed.

The invention is fully illustrated in the annexed drawings, wherein Figure l is an edge View ol' my improved clasp, showing it in` terlocked with the slotted plate. Fig. lA shows the same with the tongue raised from itsattaching-plate. Fig. 2 is a detached plan view of the clasp. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the attaching-plate of the clasp; and Figs. 4, 5, and o' are front edge views of the aforesaid plate, illustrating modifications ofthe construction of thesame.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the attaching-plate or baseplate on which the tongue T is hinged, and B denotes the slotted plate with which the aforesaid tongue interlocks.

Springs of various forms and attached to the base-plate 4A in various manners have been employed to automatically hold the tongue in two of its operative positions-i. e., in position for entering the slot of the plate with which it is to interlock, and in position for retaining its interlocking hold on said plate, as represented in Fig. 1 of the drawings; but in the majority of cases the construction and combination of parts were such as to render the clasp an expensive article to manufacture. This I obviate by providing the attaching-plate or base-plate A with a longitudinally-detlected cross-bar or pintle, a, and hinging thereon the tongue T, provided with a sleeve, s, which is ot' angular or elongated form in cross-section, and embraces the said pintle in such a manner thatinswinging the tongue T back and forward on the plate A the deflected portion of the pintle is imy pinged and pressed toward a rectilineal position by the said 'sleeve ofthe tongue, as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings. Said pintle or cross-har is thus made to act as a spring, which normally holds the tongue T in its liereinbefore-mentioned operative positions. The deiiected pintle or cross-bar is formed in one piece with the plate A and stamped out of sheet metal, the deflection of the pintle being produced at the same time by dies of proper form, easily understood by persons conversant with the art ol' working metals. The pintle a may be either cut in two at the center. and the two parts either bent in the same direction, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, or bent in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, or said pintle may be kept intact and bent at the center of its length, as represented in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

It. will be observed that either of the described forms will make the pintle serve the function of a spring when turning thereon the sleeve s of the tongue in swinging the latter back and forth on its attaching-plate.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new is- A spring-clasp composed of an attachingplate provided with a longitudinally-deflected pintle, and a tongue having a sleeve of elongated or angular t'orm in cross-sectionernbracing said pintle, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof Ihavehereuntosigned my name and aflixed my seal, in the presence ot' two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 18th day of November, 1884.

JUDSON L. THOMSON. [L s] Vitnesses:

FREDERICK H. GIBBs, WM. C. RAYMOND. 

